Activision Open To Profits From Music Labels

Further retaliating against Warner's "paltry" assault on Activision's assets, CEO Bobby Kotick suggested that perhaps music labels should give Activision compensation for expanding audiences for music artists. In the report by the Wall Street Journal, Kotick said:

"When you look at the impact [Guitar Hero] can have on an Aerosmith, Van Halen or Metallica, it's really significant," Kotick told The Wall Street Journal, "so much so that you sort of question whether or not, in the case of those kinds of products, you should be paying any money at all and whether it should be the reverse."

Activision released the special edition, Guitar Hero Aerosmith, this past June. "A 12-year-old kid has no idea who Steven Tyler is or who Aerosmith is," said Kotick, further adding that most of their consumers purchase the titles not because of "the songs that are included", but rather, consumers are purchasing the game "based on how fun the songs are to play when they're playing them."